Reboots are all the rage in Hollywood in these days, with seemingly every property under the sun in some stage of development or pitch. Last month, Den of Geek reported that there are currently 121 reboots in the works. Many of these, of course, won’t see the light of day, but a lot will. That’s the way things go on Hollywood—if there’s a buck to be made, someone’s going to try and make it.
It’s only a matter of time then until someone decides to remake your favorite Christmas movie from your childhood. Odds are one of these classics will be remade, but there are a few others that we think have an outside chance. Nothing is certain, of course, but there are a few likely contenders of potential holiday reboots you should keep in mind.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
2015’s reboot of the comedy classic Vacation, starring Ed Helms as an adult Rusty Griswold taking his own family on a road trip, may have been poorly received by critics (it’s currently sitting on a 26% on Rotten Tomatoes) but it also pulled in just north of $100 million at the global box office on a $31 million budget. There’s an appetite for more from the Griswolds, even if we didn’t exactly get what we wanted the last time around. Another Christmas themed movie, with Rusty hosting his own family Christmas, could be just the ticket to win back goodwill if everyone plays their cards right.
The Polar Express
It would be amazing to this a cinematic version of this classic Christmas story that wasn’t reliant on the dead-eyed stares and uncanny valley of a motion-captured cast. Chris Van Allsburg’s lavishly painted picture book is one that can bring tears to the eyes of even most jaded adults and a perennial favorite of families everywhere. Robert Zemeckis certainly tried with his Tom Hanks starring effort in 2004, but the whimsical look he was going for ended up just being creepy. Perhaps it’s time to give this one another go without the gimmicks.
White Christmas
Irving Berlin’s musical classic is one for the ages, but the recent resurgence of musicals that’s been bubbling for the last few years could mean another shot at White Christmas. Berlin’s tale of a song and dance duo becoming romantically involved with a competing duo is certainly heartwarming, but an update for modern audiences done by the right team could potentially lead to great things for this Christmas classic.
Silent Night, Deadly Night
The only things bigger than remakes are remakes of horror movies, and this Christmas slasher is a must watch on any self-respecting horror fiend’s Christmas list. The tale of a madman on the loose with an axe and aa Santa suit on Christmas Eve is a bloody good romp that leaves a trail of destruction through all your favorite holiday memories and definitely deserves another chance at box office gory…er…glory.
It’s a Wonderful Life
You wouldn’t know it but this holiday favorite from Frank Capra wasn’t exactly a hit on first release. It took decades to catch on and has become the ubiquitous force it is today. Various sequels and reboots have been pitched over the years but none of gained traction. Given the political and social landscape of the day, however, it could be interesting to see how the story would play out in a modern setting with modern problems. It probably wouldn’t be as good as the original, but it might still offer some poignant reminders for the holiday season.
